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With Unveil, church offers panacea for troubled families

By Eniola Daniel
06 August 2017   |   4:10 am
As domestic violence, child abuse and other social vices increase on a daily basis, religious bodies have been challenged to do more in terms of sensitisation and being good examples in the society to curb these endemic menaces.

As domestic violence, child abuse and other social vices increase on a daily basis, religious bodies have been challenged to do more in terms of sensitisation and being good examples in the society to curb these endemic menaces. In almost an hour-long drama presentation, Harvesters Christian Centre (HICC), Gbagada, Lagos, analysed how family values are being eroded daily due to rise in family and social pressures, abuse of social media and technology, infidelity and others.

These issues formed the centre of the church’s drama presentation titled Unveil.

In it, a mother sees nothing good about her daughter, and bullies her; she says a lot of terrible things to her daughter like: “I wish you never exist. Useless, stupid, good for nothing, insignificant child; you cannot look good even by applying millions of makeup…” She thereby destroys her daughter’s self-worth with harsh words that later manifest in her as she progresses in life. But her belief and encounter with a powerful being that believes in her strength saves her and makes her change for good.

The drama goes on to show how love for gadgets and technology is destroying family unity, eroding such valuable pastime as talking to the children like friends, telling stories, folktales, knowing their wellbeing and the importance of the presence of both parents in the lives of their children, which is becoming things of the past. A young man comes home after checking his Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result where he scores 290. But on getting home with the excitement, he meets both his parents chatting on their phones with their business partners. Boy tries to share the news with his parents, but none of them cares to listen, as they are busy with their gadgets.

In order to get their attention, the curious young man exclaims loudly: “Dad, Mum, I scored 290 in my JAMB!” But none of them pays him any heed. Then he goes dramatic: ‘Mum, Dad, I am going to kill myself! I got a girl pregnant! I almost murdered somebody!’ Yet, none of his attempts to get their attention work. He gets angry and leaves the house.

The drama skit continues with a man who molests his wife every day over an undisclosed issue. The woman is battered, disfigured and treated like rag and all efforts to make him return to the man she met before their marriage fails. After years of trouble, her husband realises his mistakes and begs for forgiveness, but the damages and injuries he has inflicted on his wife are too much.

In another scene, a woman, who is never contented with whatever her husband provides her, is portrayed; she sees him as a bad man. The discontented wife makes it a habit to always leave her husband and party with rich men, but she is eventually able to retrace her steps and turn a new leaf.

The play comes to a climax after a couple makes an affirmative decision to begin a new life, when they say: “Maybe, we can start from somewhere by joining our voices to say no to abuse in our homes and work place; no to emotional abuse against friends and family; no to physical assault on anyone, both young and old; no to uncontrollable anger!”

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